The Marvel Thread

[SickAlice]

Dusting them off here as well last night. Thanos Quest and Infinity Gauntlet to prime for the movie of course, still holds up to this day and some of the best and most ingenious science fiction of it's day.

Heroes Reborn Doom (?). Sorry, I've never been clear on the title or if it even has one properly. The order is their are fourteen months of Heroes Reborn. The first six manned by Jim Lee and Rob Leifeld. The next six months by Jim Lee, the twelfth a cross-over final battle with Galactus for the fate of Earth. The Thirteenth a rebooted reality that's a meld of the Heroes Reborn canon and Wildstorm. After this Heroes Return occurred where the heroes went home to 616 Earth but exiled Dr.Doom. These stories tell a roundabout of how the Heroes Reborn Earth basically went to pot after being abandoned by it's heroes. They also outline the nature of that world a bit more and how it's managed internally and without. Dr.Doom ends up becoming the savior of said world and these follow his plan to do so all save Remnants which is Deadpoolish funny book. Not bad stuff at all really.

Supernaturals. Another alt in which Chaos Comics! founder Brian Pulido reinvents the Marvel brand as if, well if he reinvented it. Do to a Chaos Event most of the super powered beings on Marvel Earth are gone leaving only the mystical and supernatural. The Earth is Halloween-centric much like Chaos Comics. The story follows Brother Voodoo gathering a select group of characters to battle a new Jack-O-Lantern whom is set to enact a second Chaos Event on Halloween. Fun stuff, veeery 80's of itself. In the end I do wish Marvel would have modeled some of their characters after these designs specifically Jericho Drumm. The concepts for Black Cat and Satana are also pretty original.

[SickAlice]

Damn your right Spade. Just looking over my PSC submission and I am too heavy-handed.

In that vein grabbing positives, some of this weeks new reads were pretty good though they were the otherwise better stock all in one place. Speaking in regards to Jessica Jones, Spider-man and Hawkeye. But the real winner was this Avengers issue being a solo tale about Jane. Really well thought out and touching stuff, may be my pick for comic of the month. There's your short and sweet then. 

[HarryTrotter]

What are we talking about,again?

[Silver Shocker]

Personally I thought the Avengers issue was just ok. Nice art for sure, but I've seen this kind of story before in Marvel comics, and I didn't much care for it the previous times.

I haven't finished this week's issue of All-New Guardians yet, but I can say that so far I'm loving Duggan's run. In only a few issues, it's already better than the entirety of Bendis' run IMO. It actually feels like a Guardians of the Galaxy comic!

[SickAlice]

@Spade: Beats me. I thought you were keeping track. 

@Silver_Shocker: What can I say, I have a spot for storybook looking comics in my nostalgia hut. I liked this last issue of GOTG as well, read like Shade which is a good thing. Not hard to be better than Bendis's though, science fiction combined with light-hearted fun isn't his bag. Duggan is a good match for the series. I liked Mother Entropy as well but again, nostalgia = Starlin +Davis + Pip The Troll. I mean I got to have me some of that Pip.

[Silver Shocker]

So Thunderbolts, which was only supposed to be "on hiatus" during Secret Empire, is nowhere to be found in the Marvel Legecy 2017 October solicits, which cover the stuff after SI. I only recently found out that Jim Zub talked about it on Twitter in late June. He said he "pitched" a new Thunderbolts series and that he needs fans to write in to Marvel to show fan support to make sure it happens. I'm a little curious why he needs to "pitch" his own series that was never cancelled....well actually no, I'm not, I know exactly why. It's because Marvel frakking cancelled the book and didn't tell us. I'd have a lot more respect for Marvel if they had, it's insulting to the reader's intelligence. We're not stupid, we can tell the book's gone.

In any case, I made sure to email Marvel asking for the book to come back. Hopefully I'm not too late. I urge anyone here who wants T-Bolts to continue to do the same. email addy is mheroes @ Marvel .com. 

[HarryTrotter]

With the same creative team?Im not sure thats worth it,honestly.

[Silver Shocker]

Probably won't be the same artist, because Jon Malin is now doing the art for Cable, which is featuring a new New Mutants/X-Force roster. Appropriate book for him really, and the art I saw by him for the book probably looked better than T-Bolts anyways, sadly.

Sean Izaakse, the guest artist on T-Bolts, is doing some art for Jim Zub's Uncanny Avengers (which so far I'm enjoying), so that makes it more likely that there isn't more T-Bolts planned at the moment, at least not right away and not with the same artists.

[HarryTrotter]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07/30/marvel-comics-someone-from-the-top-up-for-the-chop/
According to Rich,a scapegoat is needed.

[Silver Shocker]

If it has to be someone (and it isn't Slott) make it Alonso or Brevoort. They represent a lot of what's wrong with modern Marvel, and I honestly believe that the good stuff in the last few years of Marvel have been despite them, not because of them (just like how I will never credit Steve Wacker with the well-received Waid's Daredevil run, since Waid's a good writer IMO and has continued to be without Wacker). And while I saddens me slightly to say that, given that Breevort was the editor on Busiek's Avengers and Thunderbolts, the Brevoort of that era simply is not the Breevort of today, and if he was, he hid it well.

I really hope Spencer doesn't take the fall for Secret Empire. Unlike, I imagine, a large contingent of the people who complain about Hydra Cap, I have actually been reading Secret Empire, and it's quite good IMO. Then again, if he does get kicked out, and DC snatches him up, he might end up on something cool, so I'd enjoy that.

[HarryTrotter]

I dont think firing a writer would be treated as a big deal.And its hard to assign blame to Slott here.
Safe bet would probably be David Gabriel their VP of sales.As in the guy who said their push for diversity ended up hurting their sales.
In case it is Alonso or Brevoort,I would hazard a guess that Bendis would be kicked upstairs,which would probably mean another set of problems.

[Silver Shocker]

I dont think firing a writer would be treated as a big deal.And its hard to assign blame to Slott here.

Yeah, that's why I said it can't be Slott. I just wish it were him because I have issues with his issues (in more ways than one, YO HO HO HO!) Though in fairness I should say I've heard his newest volume is an improvement. I do plan to read it at some point because I do want to see for myself.

Safe bet would probably be David Gabriel their VP of sales.As in the guy who said their push for diversity ended up hurting their sales.

So here's the thing here's the thing:

1. I don't think I've ever read a actual transcript of what he said, so that might influence my feelings on the matter.

2. Which is the bigger issue, that he said that, or that Marvel has pushed heavily for diversity and (to some degree, I don't know to what degree but it's certainly present) alienated a section of their readers by putting somewhat less influence on their older established readers (the Hulk would be a good example).

On a semi-related note, Secret Empire spoilers:

Spoiler

1. The Hulk is back and he's a weapon of Hydra. I wonder, are people happy or angry about that? Or both at the same time?

2. Black Widow appears to be dead. Please tell me there isn't a backlash against that already... 

[HarryTrotter]

That stands,but it all depends-are they trying to fix things or just find a scapegoat?In the second case,it could be anyone(and any excuse will do).If they are trying to fix things,then it would be Alonso or Brevoort.
But,lets not get are hopes up.This is still Things Rich overheard around urinals during SDCC. Its just that it sounds more logical then most.

[Silver Shocker]

Yeah, I could have said "Like I care what the guy who has an active monetary incentive to lie to you has to say.", but honestly, I've said that kind of thing a few times before and I'm kinda tired of adding it. It's an unspoken obligatory precursor. I don't like calling attention to him because I know that's what he wants.

Marvel really are in this weird transitional growing pains kinda stage right now. It kinda feels like they've basically run this whole thing as far as they can take and they're going up on the breaking point. They never stopped doing the big events and event stories and rotating status quo changes and now they're doubling down on the legacy heroes and hipper diverse new characters, and it kinda feels like something's gotta give.

I had a huge post I was originally going to post, but it really does boil down to that above sentiment.

[HarryTrotter]

Which kinda highlight another thing- seems like they have no clue who there targeted audiences are.Old fans?New fans?Movie fans?
Idk,its like they are pulling on all the wrong sides.
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07/31/marvel-comics-executive-restructuring/
About the earlier thing,its general manager Peter Philips and VP of digital product Kristin Vincent.Okay,nobody guessed that.
Yes,two people nobody heard about before.If nothing,its a bit weird the restructuring is going on the digital side.I thought everything was so great there.

[HarryTrotter]

And I finished Generation X.Emma goes crazier,Sean starts drinking,school gets blow up and everyone just figures: Screw it,Im outta here.
Say thanks to Joe Quesada,kids.

[daglob]

I thought school blowing up built character?

[HarryTrotter]

Calvins dad would have you believe so,but I doubt it.Thou,for X-men thats a casual Friday.
Next up:

That is some campy stuff.Which actually makes it pretty accurate to the tone of Godzilla movies then.Ah,the wacky stuff of Showa era... 

[HarryTrotter]

Pulse.What a mess.Funny thing is,this was back when Bendis actually tried.Its a sequel to Alias,based in Spidermans corner of the world,carrying over some stuff from Daredevil,with tie-ins to Secret War and House of M,that also tries to set up New Avengers.   
Also,does Doctor Strange delivers all Avenger babies?
Steven Strange,gynecologist to the Avengers. 

[kkhohoho]

Pulse.What a mess.Funny thing is,this was back when Bendis actually tried.Its a sequel to Alias,based in Spidermans corner of the world,carrying over some stuff from Daredevil,with tie-ins to Secret War and House of M,that also tries to set up New Avengers.   
Also,does Doctor Strange delivers all Avenger babies?
Steven Strange,gynecologist to the Avengers. 

...I liked it.

[HarryTrotter]

IMO it just tries to be too much at once.If it was just Jessica,Luka and Daily Bugle,that would have been great.But Bendis tried to work it in everything else he wrote at the time(now that's like 60% of all titles),but the parts never come together.
Hell,Wolverine shows up to reference Enemy of the State.They r*ped me!They r*ped my brain!
And Im just like...why?

[daglob]

Wolverine sells comics?

[HarryTrotter]

Wolverine sells comics?

Other then the obvious;I mean.

[daglob]

Oh, well then, never mind.

[HarryTrotter]

Which reminds me of a recent discussion from a diffrent forum.For such an iconic character,Wolverine doesnt have a lot of iconic stories,does he?
There is the Claremont/Miller series,Old Man Logan,maybe Jason Arrons run(depending on who you ask)...

[Silver Shocker]

So when I first read your post, I was like, "huh, good point, hadn't thought of that". But with the hindsight of a few days, I thought of something else...

Wolverine is a spin-off. He was spun-off from a team book, X-Men. Generally the iconic stories for a spun-off character tend to be found in the book he spun off from.

Wolverine vs. the Hellfire Club, Wolverine vs the future Sentinels in Days of Future Past, Wolverine vs. Wendigo and Hulk in his first appearance in Hulk's comic, Wolverine teaming up with Captain America happened in Uncanny X-Men...Wolverine being crucified by the Reavers, Wolverine almost getting married and teaming up with Rogue and Yukio in Japan....Bone claws happened in the main X-Men books didn't it?

It applies to other characters too (with Deadpool as a major exception). Deathstroke has had his own book for years, but many of his iconic stories are to be found in Teen Titans. The Judas Contract, fighting Beast Boy, forming his own team to go up against the Titans, even that not-terribly well-handled curb stomping in Identity Crisis was in a book he didn't headline.

Hawkeye? His infamous fake death in Bendis' Avengers ("Not like this!") was in Avengers, as was the classic Ant-Man/Hawkeye team-up where Hawkeye fires an arrow with Ant-Man on top of it.

On another topic, I haven't given my thoughts on the two new X-Men books I've been picking up, have I?

Generation X is very much what I was expecting and wanted. A youth Team book X-Men title (which I'm sure will be cancelled within about a year and a half) starring characters I've liked in earlier titles. Nature Girl, a character I loved in Jason Latour's not-terribly good X-Men run, is finally in a good book and used better IMO. Eye Boy unfortunately seems to have lost the skill set he developed in Jason Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men (I.E. He was basically Mutant Karnak: he could use his extra eyes to "see" people's weak points) but oh well. And there are some fun cameos by super obscure mutant characters. Like 1-appearance-in-a-Wolverine-book-nearly-a-decade-ago obscure, so that's fun. The new Hellfire Club introduced in Aaron's WatXM is apparently going to show up in future issues, so a dropped plot involving Quinton Quire from Latour's run may resurface. I do wish the art were a bit better but we're getting a fill-in artist or two in future months so that might help. 

I'm also picking up Astonishing X-Men by Charles Soule. It's a team of X-Men who have done "bad stuff" vs. The Shadow King. I actually really like it. Fantomex steals the show, as usual. But it was the opening scene of the latest issue, #2, that I knew I had to share on here.

Spoiler

So the previously teased reappearance by the recently-killed-by-Inhuman-B.S. Jamie Maddrox was, unsurprisingly,  just an illusion on the astral plane to screw with the X-Men. I initially was thinking Maddrox would be a villain; The image teased showed him in front of a stage curtain, so that's partly what got me thinking that; that and the fact that they never would have shown him in advance without there being some kind of "gotcha" twist; otherwise they would have let it be a "spoiler"
moment. I wonder what Peter David think of this appearance? By the time issue #1 came out, and I got an idea of what the book was going to be like, I kinda assumed Maddrox was just going to be an illusion. The book tries to have its cake and eat it too by having one of the characters say that people they see on the astral plane might actually be the souls of the people who died. On that note, Xavier is back and also he might be evil, but we only see him on the astral plane so who knows what's really going on.

Anyway, onto the thing I really wanted to bring up: the big meta gag in the opening scene of the comic! The X-Men are watching a play on the astral plane, reenacting the X-Men's lives:

Fantomex: MM. Haven't we already SEEN this play?
Old Man Logan: Making something new is risky. Safer to go with something FAMILIAR. Comfort Food. If something works, do it again...until it doesn't.
Gambit: Don't care if it's new. Just hope it's GOOD. Four dollars a ticket!
Rogue: Ah, that's cheap, Remy. I bet they're barely breaking even!
Beast: You paid full price? HA! I SNUCK in--and I'm glad I did. [Beast is later revealed to be Mystique in disguise...which makes this joke work on more than one level!] But it does look a bit fake, no? [...]
Fantomex: Eh, Come on, McCoy. You expect too much. Let's just try to enjoy ourselves.

In other news, I've got Duggan's Guardians of the Galaxy on my desk this very moment! Duggan's Guardians...still awesome! It would have great even without the years-later return of the Darkhawk-derived Raptors, but with them an already savory dish become that much more delicious! Also original Nova Richie Rider confirmed for future issues! 

[HarryTrotter]

Which is true,I guess;but for a guy who was,almost,Marvels mascot for a few decades,it hard to find some defining solo stories.
Funny,now that you mention Deadpool,its even harder to remember a defining Deadpool story.He had 2 good series,but its hard to pick THE iconic story.First T-ray saga,maybe?

[HarryTrotter]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/08/21/matthew-rosenberg-writes-punisher-marvel-legacy-guiu-vilanova-draws/
Frank Castle,War Machine...I guess thats unexpected enough to work.Hell,he was Frankensteins monster.
Im now sure how they got the number 218,just the main series must have run for more issues,right?

[kkhohoho]

So Secret Empire is finally more or less over, Captain Nazi got the stuffing beaten out of him, and Real!Cap (sort of,) is back in action. Thank God.

[HarryTrotter]

http://www.comicsbeat.com/emergency-actions-that-must-be-taken-when-it-is-discovered-that-thor-is-a-woman/
The fallout is here.But ofc,its all the fault of the shop owners.Heidi really doesnt get how this works.

So Secret Empire is finally more or less over, Captain Nazi got the stuffing beaten out of him, and Real!Cap (sort of,) is back in action. Thank God.

Which actually means that,unsurprisingly,Marvel did the exact thing they promised they wouldn't do- restored the status quo.So yeah,another pointless hero punchfest with no consequences at all.Other then the obligatory pointless deaths.No hard feelings as Iron Man would say.
But lets examine that Captain Nazi thing once again-for the people who hated the plot twist this is too little,too late.For the people who found it interesting,this is just a middle finger on the reset button.
So faced with Sophie's choice (how unfortunately appropriate),Marvel does the impossible and somehow gives up both its children.